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(No Model.)

No. 426,049. v Patented Apr. 22, 1890. I

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES I. NORTON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE DETROITELECTRICAL IVORIIS, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,049, dated April22, 1890.

Application filed February 20, 1890. Serial No. 341,202. (No model.

T0 to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .IAMEs P. NORTON, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing atDet1roit,\Vayiie county, State of Michigan, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Switches, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric switches or devices for completing,changing, breaking, or otherwise affecting or controlling electriccircuits, its object being to provide a simple, cheap, and effectivemeans whereby an electric circuit may be controlled, and whereby a quickor snapping action may be obtained, so that when the switch is turned byskilled or unskilled persons, especially in breaking the circuit, themovement will be so quick as to practically prevent the formation ofarcs at the terminals.

To these ends my invention consists in a switch constructedsubstantially as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form of my invention appliedto an ordinary make-and-break-circuit switch.

Figure 1 is a plan view, and Fig. 2 a vertical section, of the same.

It is well known that when a circuit is broken, especially one carryingcurrents of great strength, there is likely to be formed an electric arebetween the separating-contacts, which is injurious to the contactsthemselves and liable to cause other damage. To avoid this objectionmeans have been provided whereby when the contacts are separated theyshall be separated quickly, as under the force of a spring or otherdevice, which shall operate so rapidly as to practically prevent theformation of the are.

It is also well known that in completing the circuit in order to preventthe interposition of resistance in the circuit or the destruction of thecontacts the contacts must be brought positively together, and deviceshave been proposed heretofore for accomplishing this result andrendering it practically automatic. \Vhile this has been accomplished,the means for its accomplishment have been more or less complex, beingexpensive to manufacture, liable to get out of order, and subject toother objections. My invention accomplishes these desirable ends, and atthe same time can be embodied in a structure which is exceedinglysimple, cheap in manufacture, and not liable to derangement in use. Ihave shown it applied in the present instance to an ordinarymake-and-break switch, although of course it will be understood that itmay be applied to many and various kinds and forms of switches withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

Mounted 011 a suitable base A, of some ininsulatiu g material, are thetwo terminals B B of an electric circuit. These terminals may be of anywell-known or desirable form, they being shown in the present instanceas consisting of segmental plates of metal secured to the base andadapted to be connected to the ends of the circuit, and having a freeend or extension I), preferablybent at an angle and having a slightdegree of resiliency. These plates are arranged at practicallydiametrically-opposite sides of the base-piece. Centrally mountedbetween these terminals is a basepiece C,having secured thereto in anysuitable way, as by means of a screw (Z, a cam D. The cam in the presentinstance is shown as being oval-shaped, having itslonger and its shorteraxes crossing each other atpractically right angles. Mounted so as toembrace this cam is a movable switch-arm E, shown in the form of anelliptic spring consisting of the two semi-elliptic springplates e e,secured together at their ends and provided with or having formedintegral with one of the plates the contacts F. In the constructionshown each of the semi-elliptic springs is provided with a contact F,formed at one end and bent at practically right angles to the spring,and this is the preferred construction, although other forms maybe used.This elliptic spring maybe held in place in any suitable way andoperated by any suitable means, as a thumbnut, or otherwise; but in theform shown I provide a handle II, secured to a plate G, which is mountedon or attached to one of the semi-elliptic springs, as c. This plate Gis slotted, as at g, to permit its movement with relation to the screwor fastening de Vice (7.

In the present construction I have shown mounted on the base A a ring I,having a slot 1', through which the plate G extends, and this slot maybe used to limit and control the extent of movement of the plate andhandle. In this construction it will be seen that the cam may bearranged in various positions with relation to the spring switch-arm, soas to cause it to automatically move to or from various points.

As arranged in the drawings, the cam is so related to the springarm thatwhen the switch is closed, as indicated by the dotted lines, the springspress upon the cam nearly in line with its longest axis, but slightlybeyond this axis, so that the tendency of the pressure between the camand springs is to hold the contacts together. When, however, thecontacts are moved to a slight degree, so as to cause the spring torotate a short distance around the periphery of the cam, the tendency ofthe force exerted between the cam and springs is to quickly and surelythrow the switch-arm into the position shown in full lines, where thelonger axes of the cam and of the elliptic spring are nearly parallel.

It will be readily understood that when the long axes of the cam and ofthe springs are at practically right angles the springs are under thegreatest tension, and when the short axes of the cam and of the springsare parallel they are under the least stress. So, as before stated, byvarying these relations the automatic action maybe caused to take placeat any desired point with relation to the contacts.

It will thus be seen that by the use of a sim- H ple cam and an ellipticspring and suitable means for turning the same an efficient sn apswitchis produced.

That I claim as my invention is 1. In an electric switch, a cam and anelliptic spring, embracing the cam, and co-operating contacts controlledby the spring and cam, substantially as described.

2. In an electric switch, a fixed cam and an elliptic spring embracingthe cam, contacts carried by the spring, and fixed contacts engaged bythe moving contacts, and means for moving the spring, substantially asdescribed.

3. In an electric switch, a fixed cam, an elliptic spring surroundingthe cam, contacts secured to the ends of the spring, arranged to engagefixed contacts to complete the circuit, and a handle attached to thespring for moving the same, substantially as described.

4:. In an electric switch, a cam, a spring consisting of twosemi-elliptic members secured together, and a handle for operating thespring connected to one of the members, and co-operating contactsengaging with the contacts carried by said spring by the movement of thehandle, substantially as described. 5. In an electric switch, a fixedcam, a spring consisting of two semi-elliptic members secured together,contacts carried by each member, an arm secured to one of the members,having a slot and a screw passing through the slot for holding thespring in place, and fixed contacts co-operating with the movingcontacts, substantially as described.

6. An electric switch consisting of a basepiece having two terminalsprovided with upturned ends, a fixed cam secured to the basepiece, anelliptic spring surrounding the cam and carrying terminals to engagewith the fixed terminals, and a handle for operating the spring,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES P. NORTON.

Witnesses:

CHAs. BRUNDAGE, FRANK B. RAE.

